A Raffryn Christmas
by makinlovetomyvibes
Summary: One-shot. Set after End of Days. Just my take on how Christmas would have gone with Raffe. Some Raffryn fluff, if you could call it that.


Penryn had to stand on her tiptoes while she let Paige put the tree topper on. Raffe watched as she struggled to keep balance under the weight of her sister in her arms. When Paige finally got the yellow star to stay on the top of the plastic tree, Penryn put her back on the ground, embracing her.

"I'm going to leave now, sweetie. But you need to get to bed so Santa will come. I will be here in the morning to open presents with you." Penryn says quietly, kissing her sister's forehead.

"Will you be in your pajamas like we used to?" Paige said in a soft voice.

"Of course." Penryn said as she brushed another kiss to her sister's cheek and stood up, signaling to Raffe that they should leave. Raffe handed Penryn her jacket.

"You better not make Penryn late tomorrow, Birdbrain." Paige said, holding her fist like she was threatening Raffe. Raffe glanced back at Penryn, who was laughing and giving him a look that said _I didn't teach her that_.

Raffe sauntered over to Paige, unfolding his wings slightly to seem intimidating. He crouched down on one knee in front of Paige who was still standing in front of the Christmas tree.

"What did you just call me?" Raffe asked in a low voice, but Penryn could see that he was teasing.

"You heard me. You have hearing like a dog." Paige retorted with as much attitude as she could muster.

"I heard that Santa will give you coal if you're not nice." Raffe said, glancing at the plate of cookies under the tree. He had already told Penryn how weird and wasteful it was to make cookies to just leave them for an imaginary man that was supposed to break into houses and leave gifts. Paige noticed his gaze.

"You wouldn't dare. Those are for Santa." Paige said as Raffe grabbed a cookie. She reached out to stop him, but he had already stolen one of four cookies and taken a huge bite out of it. Paige's mouth was a small o in the shock that Raffe had just eaten one of Santa's cookies.

"C'mon, Santa gets cookies from every kid in the world. I don't think he'll miss one." Raffe said and he held the rest of cookie out to her. "Do you want the rest?"

Paige took a look at the cookie like she wasn't going to take it but surrendered and bit into it with a smile. Raffe stood up giving Paige a gentle noogie and walked back over to Penryn.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning." Penryn said pushing open the door. Paige waved as they left.

"So are you sure you didn't have anything to do with that?" Raffe asked as they stepped out into the frigid air. Penryn flashed him a smile but continued walking across the street to their apartment.

Penryn had moved out almost immediately after being bothered by memories of her dad and Paige. Raffe's Watchers all slept in the studio that was above their apartment.

As soon as Penryn had shut their door behind them, Raffe pushed her against it, pressing his body to hers.

"Raffe, it's late." Penryn said, knowing he wouldn't back off.

"Yes, but you're under the mistletoe." Raffe said leaning closer. Penryn glanced up to where Raffe had put some sort of plant above the door.

"That's not mistletoe. And you think Christmas traditions are silly." Penryn argued.

Raffe cut her off with a deep kiss, making her legs weak. Raffe kissed her until her body had relaxed against the door. After awhile, he finally pulled away, smiling.

"The rest of the traditions might be silly, but I'm fond of that one." Raffe said letting go of her.

"Come on." Penryn said pulling his arm. "We have to get up early tomorrow."

"Why?" Raffe almost sighed as they walked through the house to their bedroom.

"Paige will get up really early to open presents." Penryn said as she dug through her dresser for clothes. "I used to do it too. I remember one time my dad had to sit up with me at four in the morning because I wouldn't go back to sleep."

"If the holiday is supposed to be celebrating the birth of Jesus, why is it so materialistic?" Raffe asked as he took his boots off.

"I never celebrate it for that reason, so I wouldn't know." Penryn said taking her shirt off, leaving her in a tank top. She put on some boxer shorts and climbed in bed with Raffe. Raffe laughed softly.

"What?" Penryn asked, confused.

"You have icing on your face." Raffe said as he wiped something off her jawline. Penryn hadn't exactly been careful when her and Paige were baking cookies. Blood rushed to Penryn's cheeks as she snuggled up closer to Raffe.

"Penryn?" Raffe asked in the dark silence.

"Hmm?" Penryn answered already falling asleep.

"Do you have any religious beliefs?"

"I don't know. I can't really bring myself to believe in a god, especially not my mother's. But I can't stop myself from believing in her devil." Penryn muttered.

"So why do you celebrate Christmas?"

Penryn shrugged against him and sighed. "For Paige. For my mom not being crazy sometimes. I don't know."

"Alright, get some sleep." Raffe kissed her cheek as she drifted off into sleep.

* * *

Sunshine glared through the blinds signifying that it was morning. Raffe's sleep schedule was attuned with the sun so he had woken up a half hour ago.

"Penryn." Raffe said in a singsong voice, kissing Penryn's neck. She shifted her body and groaned, not wanting to wake up. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Friday?" Penryn murmured, stretching her body. Realization hit Penryn a second later and she immediately sat up. "It's Christmas! Oh my god it's Christmas." Penryn said, and remembering Raffe still lying beside her, leaned down and gave him a short kiss on the lips. "I need to get ready."

Sliding out of the blankets, Penryn picked up her T-shirt from yesterday and put it back on. Not bothering to brush her hair, she started braiding it to the side.

"C'mon," Penryn said patting the blankets closest to Raffe, "we don't have all day you lazy bum."

Raffe sat up stretching his muscles, his wings expanding. Penryn watched him briefly and then started putting her combat boots back on.

"You're going to look so ridiculous crossing the street dressed like that." Raffe said running his hands through his hair. She was wearing a baggy shirt and men's boxer shorts with boots that went halfway up her shins and her hair was in a messy side braid.

"And you're going to look ridiculous when I drag you out of the house without any shoes on. Hurry up." Penryn said putting her leather jacket on. Raffe put his hands up in mock defeat and put his boots on.

Penryn ran to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. When she was done, she found Raffe standing by the front door, waiting on her. Penryn grabbed her present for Paige from where it sat on the couch and opened the door, holding it for Raffe.

As she locked the door, Raffe glanced up at the apartment above theirs, knowing that his Watchers would be up and could watch him follow this little human around like a pet. He always thought it was weird when all of them had done the same thing he was doing now. He shook his head.

His attention was back on Penryn as she grabbed him by the arm to cross the street. She was in a rush and Raffe didn't understand. The sun was barely shining on the concrete as she scampered across the deserted street, Raffe following her. Using her key, they quietly entered her family's apartment. Penryn glanced around the room.

"Paige isn't up yet." Penryn whispered mostly to herself. She put the present under tree, quickly writing "From Santa" on it with a marker. She grabbed a cookie and shoved it in her mouth, trying to make it look like Santa had been there.

"Well, that was sexy." Raffe whispered near her ear. Penryn glared at him and put a finger over her lips, shushing him. She took a bite out of another cookie and put it back on the tray.

"Do I have any cookie on my face?" Penryn said angling her face up at Raffe and closing her eyes. She heard Raffe laugh and she felt his finger wipe something off of her cheek.

"All clear." Raffe said as she opened her eyes.

"Okay, get comfortable." Penryn said, gesturing toward the couch. "I'll be right back." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek before walking down the hall to Paige's room.

She crouched down next to Paige's head and she ran her fingers through her hair. Paige's wounds had healed and were starting to scar over. Penryn has been putting herbs on it to reduce the scars but it's not working that well.

"Paige." Penryn said, still running her fingers through her sister's hair. Paige started to shift slightly.

"Its Christmas morning, sweetie." Penryn tried again and Paige opened her eyes at that. Paige yawned and stretched.

"I'll go wake mom up. I'll meet you in there." Penryn said kissing Paige's forehead and leaving the room.

Penryn didn't want to go into her mother's room so she stopped at the door and knocked. She heard her mom yell something that she couldn't comprehend and went back into the living room. Raffe was sitting on the couch with his wings folded behind him. As long as he kept his wings out of sight, Penryn's mom wouldn't freak out about him. She thought that Penryn was still the devil's bride so she didn't cross Raffe.

Paige walked into the room after her, immediately sitting in the floor to open presents.

"Look, Santa came." Penryn said sitting next to her. Paige smiled and grabbed the present that said it was from Santa. Paige looked at Penryn to see if she could open it yet. Penryn glanced at her mom as she walked into the room and joined them. "Now you can." Penryn answered as Paige looked at the present.

Paige tore into the paper impatiently. Her little fingers quickly unwrapped the present to reveal a book and some chocolate. She smiled at Penryn again.

"Now, your turn." She said handing Penryn a present from under the tree. Penryn saw that it was from Paige and knew that it would be something homemade.

"That's very pretty, Paige." Penryn said when she unwrapped the necklace that was made out of craft beads. Only slightly embarrassed that Raffe was watching her, she put it on and gave Paige a kiss on the forehead. There were only two small gifts left under the tree. Penryn handed Paige the one that was from her.

Paige quickly unwrapped it and then furrowed her eyebrows at the pocketknife that was in the box. Penryn grabbed it from the box and held it in front of her sister.

"Dad gave me this when I was your age. It was my first knife. I hope you won't have to use it, but just in case you do." Penryn put the knife in Paige's palm. They sat in silence for a second before Paige grabbed the last present.

"It's for you." Paige said as she handed it to Penryn.

"Who's it from?" Penryn asked as she opened it. Penryn glanced at her mom when she saw that it was locket. "Mom, you didn't have to-"

"Open it." Her mom said cutting her off. Penryn opened the necklace to find a picture of her family in it. It was family photo they had made not long after Paige was born. Her mother held a baby Paige while an eleven-year-old Penryn was squished up against her dad. They were all smiling. It was before the accident.

"Why would you give me this?" Penryn said, already getting emotional.

"You're still my daughter, Penryn." Her mom said as she walked out of the room.

Paige offered Penryn part of the chocolate bar as she opened up her new book. Penryn shook her head.

"I'm going to go now. We'll be over this evening for dinner." Penryn hugged Paige and kissed her cheek.

Penryn grabbed her jacket and started toward the door with Raffe following.

"Why would she give me this?" Penryn asked Raffe as they got back to their apartment. "I don't want to think about this." Penryn said handing Raffe the locket.

"What could be so bad to upset you so much?" Raffe asked as he opened the locket. "Oh. Okay. I understand now." Smiling to himself, he touched her shoulder to get her attention. "Look at you. You're so tiny."

Penryn glared at him.

"But isn't Christmas supposed to be about family? Penryn, your mom is trying." Penryn's eyes softened. "She's in a good mood and you need to enjoy that. You can't change what happened and you're wasting energy fretting over it." He pulled her into a hug, putting his chin on her head. "You should go back over there and spend the day with your family."

"You just want to terrorize my sister some more." Penryn said.

"Well she was asking for it. Calling me birdbrain. I get no respect around here." Raffe muttered. He glanced back at Penryn who was smiling at him. He leaned down and kissed her.

"Come on. Let's go enjoy Christmas." Raffe said dragging Penryn toward the door.


End file.
